Search form

Search form

A House subcommittee has voted in favor of legislation that would establish a system for lot-level tracking of medication. The measure aims to stop counterfeit treatments from reaching consumers and would fix supply-chain loopholes, but some lawmakers say it does not go far enough.

Related Summaries

An expected Senate vote on the track-and-trace bill for pharmaceuticals did not come before Congress adjourned for its August recess. The measure is designed to protect the U.S. pharmaceuticals from counterfeit products in the supply chain.

A Senate bill to mandate lot-level track-and-trace for pharmaceuticals could go over cost limits for the private sector, according to a report from the Congressional Budget Office. The measure is expected to put a strain on pharmaceutical companies, which will need to pay fees, maintain transaction records for six years and verify transaction information.
Wholesalers and third-party logistics providers for drug companies likely will pay about $35 million in fees, CBO estimates.

A federal track-and-trace system should be created by Congress to shield patients from potentially deadly, counterfeit and illicit drugs, Grace-Marie Turner writes. A federally established standard would in the long run save money for drugmakers and their consumers, while a state-by-state system would be difficult to navigate and wouldn't work, she writes.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on Wednesday voted in favor of sending legislation that would authorize the FDA to track individual medication to the full committee for consideration. The measure aims to stop counterfeit treatments from reaching consumers and to fix supply-chain loopholes. The measure "will help ensure that counterfeit or stolen drugs do not enter the supply chain and harm patients," said Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa. "It will also ensure that overlapping red tape does not impose dramatic costs on patients in the form of higher prescription-drug costs or potential drug shortages."

While the economic downturn has placed greater pressure on supply-chain managers to cut costs, John DiPalo, senior vice president of operations at track-and-trace solutions provider Acsis, believes smart investments in RFID technology can help manufacturers grow even in a recession.